Warriors of Ancient Ba Tribe
His bronze 鈥渜i鈥 was brought to his tomb. It showed that he had held a high position. If it was a dancing team, he was probably the captain.
Guan Weiliang
After the state of Ba was conquered by Qin, he became a Qin soldier with the 鈥渜i鈥 for dancing. He took part in the war against Chu. He died a hero鈥檚 death in Jingmen.
33/50/04
One night 2,000 years ago in the flames of war, the life of the warrior ended abruptly in a fierce fight. He took with him to the other world a willow-leafed sword and a bronze 鈥渜i鈥 with strange designs. Gone together with his life were his passionate dances. All these existed in the ancient world so remote to us. Can the ancient dances be revived and shown to us today?
34/30/14
In the Qingjiang valley, where legends say that the Ba originated, the custom of 鈥渇uneral dances鈥 has been passed down through generations. The dance is performed as a memorial ceremony for the dead. The performers sing as they dance. In the songs, the dead person is portrayed as the reincarnated god of white tiger. The dancers imitate the tigers鈥 movements very vividly. Researchers believe that these funeral dances have a close relationship with the military dances performed by the Ba warriors, and also with the legends that Linjun was transformed into a white tiger after his death.
Zhang Zhengming (Professor of School of Historical Culture of Central China Normal University):
They sang and danced when they charged at the enemy. They also sang and danced when they held funeral processions for comrades-in-arms who had fallen in battle. This custom has been kept up to now. It is the funeral dance of the Tujia people in the Qingjiang River valley.
36/03
